Connie Britton Gives Standout Performance As Faye Resnick In ‘American Crime Story’

Connie Britton delivered a standout performance in the fourth episode of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson – “100% Not Guilty.”

Connie Britton In American Crime Story

A major arc in “100% Not Guilty” involved Faye Resnick, who infamously penned a tell-all about her late friend Nicole Brown called Nicole Brown Simpson: The Private Diary of a Life Interrupted that was published just four months after her murder. The aspiring actress and drug abuser teamed up with a National Enquirer columnist to pen the book, which would go on to become a New York Times bestseller – and throw a wrench in both the prosecution and defense team’s cases ahead of O.J. Simpson‘s murder trial.

Fortunately for Britton, Resnick gave a number of interviews in the 90s, which the Friday Night Lights and Nashville actress was able to use for reference. From meetings with the ghost writers, to the Larry King interview, Britton impeccably channels the Real Housewives guest star.

“I did a lot of research. It’s a little nerve-racking playing a character that is still living and in the public eye, so I really wanted to be as accurate as I could,” Britton told Vulture. “I watched as much video as I could get my hands on, particularly video of that time — video and photographs.”

Britton’s Faye functions in part as comic relief in American Crime Story, bringing a contrast to the somber case that is at the center of the series. It was a part of executive producer Ryan Murphy‘s concept to have her come off as a slightly campy character. But, in order to deliver that kind of performance, Britton couldn’t think of it that way.

“I always have to find what is rooting her, what is rooting her behavior and her story. And from doing the research that I did with Faye, there’s a real earnestness about her,” Britton told Variety. “I imbued it with all those qualities that make her who she is. So it think it’s those qualities that kind of ended up making it comedic. If you’re really earnest in a situation and then all the circumstances around the situation make it funny, then it’s funny.”

Unfortunately for Britton fans and American Crime Story viewers, Tuesday’s episode of the show was the last one that will feature Faye Resnick. Britton acknowledges that even the writers wish that her character still had more to do with the story.

“When we were shooting it, some of the writers would come up and be like, ‘We need more Faye, we need more Faye,’ but the truth of the matter is we have to stay focused on what the story is, and once the Larry King interview happened, Faye did not really figure that prominently in the case anymore,” Britton told Vulture. “Unfortunately, that was all we get.”

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson airs on FX Tuesdays at 10/9c.